Project Editor: Alex Stamm, History 470: Digital History, Spring 2008

Introduction

The collective memory of Vietnam War-era demonstrations generally thinks of mass student protests at places like Berkeley, Columbia, and other elite or coastal schools and cities. Only a couple instances of protest in the Midwest remain familiar, including the demonstrations at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago or the 1970 shootings of four students at Kent State in Ohio.

Chicago and Kent State were only the most well-known Midwest events during the Sixties. But struggles against racism, protests against the Vietnam War and the draft, the fight for student power, among other issues, occurred throughout the Midwest. At the University of Nebraska, major political issues were raised concerning the free speech of students, student control of the university, the collusion of Lincoln businesses with racism and apartheid, and ultimately the Vietnam War.